Utensil cleaning device



Jan. 15, 1957 M, J. MODONA@ 2,777,146 y v UTENSIL CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 2, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

Uttittd Sttttt Ptttttt 2,777,146 UTENSIL CLEANING DEVICE Mary J. McDonald, Arlington, Mass. vApplication March 2, 1953, Serial No. 339,546

s claims. (ci. 1sz10) t This invention relates to a utensil cleaning device, especially one to clean and polish the tines offorks and similar instruments. t

Reference is made to my co-.pe'ndingpatent application, Serial No. 279,002, tiled March 28th, 1952.

One object of my invention is to provide a device to clean and polish the tines, or other teeth, of an instrument that has two or more `of them spaced laterally apart, such as a common table fork has.

Another object is to provide means whereby the cleaning members can be adjusted to either tighten or loosen them as desired.

A further object is to provide such a device that is simple to assemble and disassemble, and convenient to use. t

The-foregoing and other objects whi'chwill appear a the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,r combination and ar.- rangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings.

The nature of the invention is such as to render it suscepti- Figure 2 is a sectional view .taken on the line 0f Figurev l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3,-3 of..

Figure 2.

Figure `4 is a sectional view taken on thel line .4--4 of Figure 2. y t

Figure 5 Ais a fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

fFi'gure 6 isa top plantview of my clamping member.

As illustrated, I provide supporting means shown in the form of a receptacle R, which has a bottom 10, two sides 12 having grooves 14 extending lengthwise adjacent the top, a rearend 16 and a front end 18 having a hole 19 therein, which parts are joined by an Iadhesive or` otherwise.v As shown, there are vertically rextending slots 20 in said sides 12 and a connector member 22 extends into said slots 20, which serves as a partition to divide the receptacle into a storage chamber S at the rear and into a chamber C at the front where the cleaning operation is performed.

At one end of my device is a mounting assembly which includes said connector member 22, and also two posts 24, one at each corner, which extend upwardly from the bottom and have a reduced top portion 25 to thereby provide said posts with a cut-out or recess 26 at the top for a purpose later explained. Screws 27 hold said posts 24 to said partition 22. A base 28 rests on said bottom 10 and extends between said posts 24, having holes 29 therein, and being attached to said connector member 22 by screws 29a. Said connector member 22, posts 24 and base 28 2,777,146 Patented Jan. 15, 1957 r, ICC

provide a mounting assembly at the rear of my device that can be withdrawn as a unit.

At the front of the receptacle R; but spaced from the front end 18, is another mounting assembly that has two posts 30, one ateach corner, which extend upwardly from the bottom and have a reduced top portion 31 to thereby provide said posts with a cut-out or recess 32 at the top, later explained. A connector 34 shown as a at, metal plate, is attached by screws 36 to said front posts 30. A base 38 rests on said bottom 10 and extends between said posts 30, being attached by screws 39 to the latter, and having holes 40 therein. Said posts 30, base 38 and connector 34 provide a mounting assembly at the front of my device that can move as a unit.

Adjusting meanshas a pin or bolt 44 and a control member or knob 48. Said pin or bolt 44 extends from outside said receptacle R through said front end 18 and through said connector 34, having a head 45 bearingv against the rear surface of said connector, and on which a nut 46 is screw-threadedly attached that bears against the front surface thereof, thereby holding one end of said bolt 44 in fixed position on said connector 34. At the outside of said front end 18 is said control member or knob 48 screW-threadedly attached to the outside end of said bolt 44 and bearing against said front end 18, whereby movement of saidcontrol member on said bolt 44 moves said front assembly in the direction desired.

Anchoring Arods S0 extend into said holes 29 in said base 28, being parallel with said rear posts 24. Other anchoring rods 52 extend into said holes 40 in said base 38, being parallel with saidfront posts 30. There may be oneor more said rods 50 and 52 in each assembly, depending upon the need.

Extending between each pair of said rods 50 and 52 is a cleaning member 54 that is greater in Width than thickness, and shown in the shape of a blanket, being preferably rectangular, although other shapes could be used, and made of a suitable material, such as annel or other fabric. From top to bottom its depth yshould be atleast thelength of the tines or teeth to be cleaned. This cleaning member 54 preferably has a maintaining member 56 which may. be made of canvas or other strong fabric, and which has a loop 58 at each end, which loops are mounted on said rods 52 and 54, thus holding the cleaning members 54 firmly between each said pair.

An outer covering of cleaning cloth 60 covers, in each instance, the portion of said maintaining member 56 between each pair of loops 58 on a said maintaining member 56. The tines of a fork, for instance, rub against opposite side surfaces of cloth 60, as they are drawn alongside of said cleaning members 54. Said cloth 60 maybe impregnated with a cleaning chemical to more effectively clean and polish simultaneously.

To firmly support said rods 50 I provide a clamping member 62 having a plurality of grooves 64 therein, there being one groove for eachsaid rod. Said clamping member 62 is placed opposite the reduced top portions 25 of said posts 24 and in said recess 26 with said rods 50 in said grooves 64. Likewise to support said rods 52 I provide another said clamping member 62 with said grooves 64 therein. It is placed opposite the reduced top portions 31 of said posts 30, in said recess 32 with said rods 52 extending into said grooves 64. A top cover 66 slides in sai-d side grooves 14 and covers both chambers S and C when in place.

With said clamping members 62 placed in clamping position, said cleaning members 54 are firmly held in position between the two mounting assemblies, ready to serve their purpose. fork, for instance, receive a said cleaning member 54, there preferably being as many of the latter as are needed The space between two tines of a.

mm1-4e to enter all the spaces betweenthe tines and the fork is` drawn over said cloth 60 between a pair of said rods 50 and 52 until the inner surfaces of the tines, making oontact'with the cloth, are cleanedadpoljshed.

It saidy cleaning members 54 becomeasomewliatloose on said rods 50 and 52, said knob'itSHislrotated,` thus screW-thi'eadedly` moving. itfarther ontorsaid bo1t44';

which draws the front mounting assemblyv` towardsI the' front end18 until the cleaning members 54' are tightenedv To loosen'the` latter theknob 48 is rotated inthe opposite" direction, in other words, screw-threadedly movedpartly ott said bolt'44.

To" remove'said front-mounting assembly the knbbi48'; is unscrewedfromisaidf bolt 44, the-latter i'sld'rawniout of said `front end hole v19, which freestheffrontl .mountingrl assembly.

What I claimfis: 1. `A cleaningdevice comprising supporting means,two

supporting assemblies supported' saidlm'e'ns and-spaced apart,f an? anchoring rod" montedlinf each saidf a'sser'nbly,v` 'id anchoring" frods ying a fma'int'ainingf member havi'ngl'oo'p's1l atl'opposite-endsintoA which {saicl` and aY cleaning-member attached tot and` extending betweenvthemiA embed rods extend 1 andan outerl covering on said,i maintaining member extending b etweyensaid-rods;

2. A cleaning t device t comprising supporting means including ai bottom,- twoljsuppnriting assemblies `supported by said rneans andispaced apart; eachsaid assembly em-` bodying a-basethavingaplurality of-h'olestherein; andI supportedby 'said-bottom; atpa'ir'fof posts supivortedbyn said `bottomgandl av connectorV member connected 'tosaid base' and posts, each s'aid post embodying ar-r'e'duced top portionx and havinga" recess formed' by "said 'reduced t'opy portion vand the adjoining portion of said-'top,4 a plurality ofi anchoring `rods-'in said base holes and extend-y ing parallel with said posts, a pluralityl of cleaning members extending between said two assemblies, and clamping members adaptedto t intosaid-recessesf'and-bear against part ot said? reduced` top portions and so positioned thati theyh'oldA said-rods in predetermined posti tion.

3. A cleaning-device comprising-supporting means i`n cluding a 'bottom-twosupporting assembliessupportedl by saidme'ansliand-spaced apart, each said assembly em-V supportedbysaid bottom, a pair of'posts supported-by said bottom, and a vconnector member connected 'tot said" base'land postsgeach-'sa'id post embodying a'r'educed'top' portion and having a recess formed by Said reduced top of anchoring rods"in-said base holesjjand `Aextending parallel`` withl 'said-"posts, a" plurality of cleaning members extending: betweenisaid two asserribliesfandclamping" membersadapted totit" into said recesses' and bear agaillst part ofsaidlreducedf top` portions, eachrsaidclarnping member having ai-pluralityofgrooves therein, saidrds' extending into sid'grooves;

4.' A4 c leaningdevice comprising supporting means, embodying afbottom; and a front end having a hole'therein, two -'supportingassemblies supported by saidbottotn and spaced apart, one. said, assembly` beingadjacent ,said front end and the other being spaced rearwardly therefrom, each said assembly embodying a base having a plurality of holes therein and supported by said bottom, a pair of posts supported by said bottom and spaced apart, each embodying a reduced top portion and having a recess formed by said reduced top portion and the adjoining portion of said top, and a connector member connected to l saidbase and posts, one said connector member beingxedtot and the other' movable on said bottom, a plurality of anchoring rods in said base holes and extendin'gnparalleliwith .,saidL-postsya plurality of cleaning members each embodying loopsat opposite ends threaded to said posts whereby ea'ch cleaning member extends between said assemblies, clamping members adapted to tit into said recesses and bear against part of said reduced top portions, and adjusting means embodying: a screw-threaded: pin txedly' attached tol one 4said connector v member,` and" extending i throughV saidfront end' hole, and a control member screw-threadedly connected to'. said-pinfmemberoutside of` and bearing. against said front end.

l 5.. A1 cleaning. devicefcomprising supporting. means i embodying a bottom, and a front end' having a hole therein, two supportingiLassemblies: supported' by said bottomand spaced apart, one said assembly being` adjacentisaid frontH end and'. the: other `being] spaced rearwardly therefrom,t each. saidassembly-iembodying a;A baseihaving a plurality of holes therein and supported bysaid bottom,

af pair? ofxposts outside. of opposite ends of saidwbase and supported 'by saidrbottom, each embodying a reduced top portion and having a recess formed by said reducedv .top portionandfthev adjoining portion of said top, and

a: connector member connected to said base and posts, one said connector member being fixed to and the other movable onI said2 bottom, apluralityof anchoringwrods in said base holes andxextending parallel with tsaidiposts,

kaflplurality of 'cleaning` members each' embodying loops i4 bodyrng' a base having a plurality of holes thereirtand 5 portionandf-theJ adjoining `portionv of' said: top; a 'plurality ,50

atfopposite ends4 threaded 'toI saidA posts whereby each cleaning,`r member extends between said assembliesyclamp-y ingfmembers adapted to tit into said-:recesses and-bear against part otsaid reduced 'top-portions and each having a plurality of grooves therein to receiveisaid rods, and: adjustingr means` embodying a screw-threaded pin iixedly attached to.` onefsaid connector member and extending through .said` frontend hole, and aicontrol memi ber screw-threadedly connected to said pin member. outsid'e of-ahdI beari'ngiagainst said` front end. 

